Whispering
by CocoSushi
Summary: Mandy Brocklehurst is the girl nobody sees, but what happens when she gets unwanted attention from a certain Slytherin? Set in DH. This story is going somewhere, I promise.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Since I've been so brain dead lately, I have decided to write stories again. Please review and ****criticise and what not.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine.**

September first.

And so marks the first day of my imprisonment.

I actually like school, until now. Father said the Death Eaters will be ruthless. He said to keep quiet and to do what I was what I was told. Not that I need to be told twice.

I'm the type of girl who you would see hundreds of times before but you can never remember her name.

"Mandy Brocklehurst? Who's that?" they'd say whenever I was mentioned.

"Wait, Mandy who?"

Let's just say I'm used to it.

It's not that I'm an outcast. I have plenty of friends, like Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil, but I would never be popular. Not like what Cho or Marietta were. Some things never change in the Ravenclaw house. Not since I was sorted six years ago.

But this year, I knew everything was going to be different. New regime, new times. Dark times.

Everyone was feeling it. There were so many deaths and attacks leading up to the takeover of the Ministry. They had started rounding up muggle-borns. Many went into hiding, including my mother.

She hadn't said where she was going. She just left in the dead of night, pausing for one last look and my dad and me before she apparated.

It couldn't be just a month since her departure. It felt like years, centuries even. Time couldn't pass any slower.

And here I was, waiting at Platform 9 ¾ with Dad. The day I had so looked forward to, I now dreaded. I can never say goodbye.

Dad had said he didn't want to send me off this year, but as those lovely Death Eaters made it compulsory, I had to.

He looked just how I feel, maybe even worse, if that's possible. He gave me a long hug, patting my light brown hair. I could tell that he doesn't want to let go.

"Take care," he said in a strangled sort of voice. His smile was awfully forced.

I nod stiffly, not daring to open my mouth for fear of letting out the huge tears that I could already feel were forming. I was going to be with my friends again. At least we'll be together.

The thought only lasted me five minutes of happiness- only enough time to go to the nearest window and wave to my father. After that, I needed to find an empty compartment where I could be as miserable as I wanted.

I dragged my trunk along the narrow corridor, glancing at the compartments as I passed. I couldn't see an empty one, nor my friends. Just then, I saw an exceptionally crowded one. Slowing, I craned my neck and scanned the area for them, and suddenly, I felt something hard hit my back.

"Oh sorry!" I said, slightly flustered. I was many things- observant, meek, obedient, narrow-minded,- but never clumsy. I looked at the person who I had nearly knocked over.

It was what I saw that made me back away hurriedly into my luggage, ending up with me landing roughly on the floor.

"It's fine," said Theodore Nott, but very quietly. I was surprised he hadn't told me to bugger off, then again, I had never talked to him before, as he was in Slytherin. He held out his hand and, after a moment's hesitation, I took it and he helped me to my feet.

We stood there for a few seconds- a few incredibly awkward seconds.

"Er-I-have-to-go," I said in one breath. I grabbed my trunking, wanting to dissolve right on the spot.

"Wait," he said. The calmness in his voice made me stop. "What's your name?"

Did he want it for future references or was he just checking to see if I was a mass murderer in disguise?

"Mandy," I found myself saying. "Mandy Brocklehurst."

And without another word, I ran off, knowing he was watching me go. I wanted nothing more than to get away from that calculating gaze.

* * *

The Great Hall lacked its usual cheerful chat and bustle. Students were whispering to their friends. I noticed a few were missing. Muggle-borns, I suspected. And Harry Potter. I never met him, but I hope that he survives this war, if you can still call it that. With a fallen ministry and Dumbledore gone, it is certainly clear that we have lost.

I was wedged between Lisa and Padma. We weren't talking much. It seemed that they, like myself, were more absorbed in their own thoughts. We wouldn't be able to talk freely again until we were safe in our dormitory.

I scanned the tables again, once again looking at the Slytherin table. That lot looked a tad more smug than usual. But I wasn't interested in them. Only one of them.

My eyes locked with Nott's. He nodded at me and smirked. I blushed and looked down at my hardly touched food. Suddenly, I wasn't so hungry anymore.

Lisa nudged me. I had found her earlier on the train and noticed that she looked so much paler than usual. She was nervous. My gaze switched over to where she was looking. Professor Snape had stood up to give his first speech as the Hogwarts Headmaster.

"Welcome back," he said, though eying us rather coldly. I could hardly hear him. Why he never opens his mouth more than a fraction of an inch, I wonder. "As you probably have heard, there will be a few changes at Hogwarts."

I saw Padma's eyes narrow.

"Oh yes," she said under her breath. "Things are going to be _very_ different..."

* * *

My first class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. I walked there with Padma, as Lisa failed at the simplest of curses and decided not to continue at a N.E.W.T level.

I trailed slightly behind her. Padma was used to being in charge. She walked confidently with her head up, smiling at everyone. When I walked, I would always look down, fiddling with my hands.

That's one of the reasons I envy her. She's pretty and always calm and composed, never embarrassed or unsure.

Though, she looked rather frightened now. The teacher, Amycus Carrow, was big and intimidating. When he saw us come in, he looked at Padma.

"You- over there. And you- over here," he said to me, pointing at the desk next to Nott. Padma looked at me sympathetically and walked at her assigned seat across the room.

Slowly, I walked over to him. When I didn't sit down right away, he let out a laugh. "Come on, I don't bite," he said, pulling out the chair for me.

"Thanks," I murmured and let my bangs fall in front of my eyes. I took a seat and stared at Carrow, who was scanning his classroom with cold, blank eyes.

We were all silent, not really sure of what to do. Someone sneezed and no one dared to say "bless you."

"Today," he said, smiling sinisterly, "We'll be studying the Cruciatus Curse. Longbottom, if you would be kind enough to demonstrate."

I froze.

And with a cruel laugh, Carrow pointed his wand at the boy now standing defiantly before him.

"_Crucio!_"

Quickly, I looked away, Neville's shouts echoing in my ears.

What kind of deranged class was this?

* * *

Unfortunately, his sister was no better. Alecto was just as ruthless and evil as her brother, if not worse. In Muggle Studies, she taught us that non-magic folk were stupid animals that deserved to be locked up.

I entirely disagreed. In fact, I admired muggles for getting along so well without any hint of magic at all. But there was no way I was going to say that in her class, not if I wished to be whipped and humiliated.

Within a week, the Carrows had taken over the entire school. They thrived in their students' misery and considered their safety and well-being optional.

I don't remember hating anyone anymore than I hated them.

Their classrooms were like torture chambers and there was no way out.

And there was only one rule- behave or you shall be severely punished.

I felt that the only positive factor of their presence was that the homework was horribly easy. Just cause enough pain and write a bunch of lies and you pass.

And for the first time, grades didn't seem so important anymore.

Though, I was starting to spend a lot of my time in the library. It may look like I was just studying, but I was also trying to get away from the Carrows.

Sure, I was out in the open, but they never came in there. It made me wonder whether they knew how to read at all. I told this to Lisa, but she looked behind her as though to check if anyone heard.

"Don't talk like that," she'd whispered. "Not if you fancy becoming a knife sharpener."

She liked it in the library, too, and today, she was being even quieter than usual. It made me miss the old Lisa- the one who would joke around and talk at the top of her lungs until a teacher threatened to give her detention.

But there was definitely something else bothering her.

"What's up with you?" I asked, careful to keep my voice down so not to upset her.

Slowly, Lisa set her quill down. "They got him," she said, trembling. "Terry Boot. He was trying to stop them from torturing his sister." Her voice was smaller than I had ever heard it before.

My eyes widened. "Is he all right?" I asked, genuinely concerned for him. Terry was one of my few friends. Seeing him tortured would be, well, horrible.

She shook her head frantically. "I don't know! He hasn't been in class the past couple days."

My stomach lurched. Merlin, I hoped he was fine. If he had been killed...

And suddenly, I had another nasty thought. What if news like this became daily and frequent?

I stood up and muttured something about getting a book on muggle killings in the nineteenth century, not wanting Lisa to see me this frightened.

Quickly, I walked amongst the huge bookcases of ancient textbooks, picking up a random one and opening it. My hands were shaking so much, I dropped it.

I bent down to pick it up, when someone else got it for me. Startled, I looked up.

Theodore Nott.

Is it just me, but is anyone else screaming "stalker?"

"Here," he said, handing me my book.

"Oh, thanks," I replied, not knowing what else to say.

"You're rather quiet today."

"Always, you mean."

"Yeah. Is there any reason for that?" He asked. I wondered why he had this sudden interest with me.

I blinked. "I guess I don't like talking."

"Oh."

"Look, I have a lot of homework."

Without even waiting for a reply, I turned on my heel and left. Once I had exited the library, I made for Ravenclaw Tower, running all the way.

What the bloodly hell was that?


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Not as long as the first chapter, but please read and review!**

The next morning, I was being woken up by a very shaky Padma.

It was still dark outside. Checking my clock, I saw it was only four a.m.

Blinking, I looked at her, confused.

"They want us in the Great Hall. All of us," she whispered.

Lisa, I saw, was already half in her robes. I scrambled out of bed and grabbed the nearest pair of socks.

"But it's Saturday! What could they possibly want?" I complained, rummaging through my trunk.

Padma shrugged. "I don't know," she said, twirling her dark hair anxiously. When she does that, you know that she is either in deep thought or prepared to flirt with a cute boy she just met.

I take it that she's in deep thought.

In ten minutes, we were out of Ravenclaw Tower and seated at our house table. Alecto Carrow was seated by Professor Snape. By her particular smug expression, I guessed she was prepared to give a speech.

The Great Hall filled and quieted rather quickly. Yawning and messy-haired, the students were practically dead. Like me, they looked puzzled and irritable. I just wanted to punch Carrow in the face and go back to sleep.

That evil woman had stood up and cleared her throat, which was completely pointless because all eyes were on her anyway.

"Good morning," she said, her voice falsely cheery. "I trust you all slept well."

We all stared at her. She had to be joking. This Umbridge approach didn't suit her at all.

Seeing that there was no fooling us, she dropped it and became the devil incarnate that we all know her too be.

"I am sure you're all wondering why you are here. Well, you may have seen that atrocious graffiti painted around the school. It is disrupting classes and befouling the corridors. This needs to end now."

I rolled my eyes. Please, the only thing befouling the corridors was her.

The 'atrocious graffiti' read things like "Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting." It gave everyone hope that this wouldn't last forever. Surely they wouldn't deny us the only thing we had left.

But they would.

Even more sternly, she continued. "If this proceeds, I can assure you, there will be punishment." With a wave of her hand, she breathed deeply. "You may go."

Once we were out of earshot of everyone else, I laughed and took a brave stab at Alecto, feeling more confident than I ever did before. "That sounded a little over-rehearsed, don't you think? I mean, she probably doesn't know the meaning of half the words she said. _Befouling the corridors_- if anything it's h- Ow!"

Lisa nudged me hard in the ribs. She gestured urgently behind me. I turned around.

There stood those two gigantic Slytherins- Crabbe and Goyle.

"You best watch your mouth," Crabbe said softly as he passed, blundering off around a corner.

_You best watch your weight_, I added in my head and I had no idea where it came from.

Though, I didn't look nearly as agitated as Padma. She turned sharply and headed off in the opposite direction.

Lisa called after her. "Where in the world are you going?"

And she walked on.

I don't even think she heard.

* * *

Later in the common room, Lisa and I were talking. It wasn't the usual girlie gossip and teasing. No, we hadn't done that in ages. We were discussing more serious issues.

"I don't know why she just took off like that. It's not like her to get so easily angry," she said.

I shrugged. "I think she's part of Dumbledore's Army. Where else could she have been sneaking off to a couple years ago?"

Lisa stood up. "I think we should find her before she does anything stupid."

I headed for the fifth floor and Lisa was going to check the bathrooms.

Merlin, I hoped Padma hadn't landed herself in detention.

Hearing voices, I turned down a hallway.

The Patil twins were painting what looked like "Down With the Carrows" above a window.

_"Padma! _Have you gone mental? It's broad daylight?_"_ I hissed, grabbing her wrist.

She didn't even look at me when she shoved me off. "Parvati and I decided that we don't care if they hurt us, as long as we cause enough damage."

I tried again. "That's just stupid. They can kill you!" I attempted to grab her wand from her.

She shook her head, as though I would never understand and stopped what she was doing. "I know you mean well, but like I said, I don't care anymore. Get away from here and don't make me hex you."

Words can't describe how much that hurt.

"Please," I begged, knowing it was hopeless.

And suddenly, thundering footsteps and angry shouts echoed from a nearby corridor.

I looked at Padma in horror.

Parvati was the one who reacted first.

"_Run!_"

The paintbrushes clattered to the floor.

"Mandy, come on!"

The news seemed to sink in and I started after then.

Before I knew it, I hit the floor. A tripping jinx.

"Just go!" I yelled to her, struggling to get back on my feet.

Padma swallowed and left, just missing Amycus Carrow's arrival in a matter of seconds.

And I was roughly yanked back by my robes.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Carrow sneered.

My mind was racing. They were going to torture me, I knew it.

When I didn't answer, he gave me a shake.

"M-Mandy Brocklehurst, sir," I said quickly.

I saw his cold eyes search my face for any sign of guilt.

"How come I haven't seen you around? Been skipping class, haven't you?" He growled.

Not the first time anyone's forgotten me, though in this case, I'd think of it as a good thing.

"I'm in your class, sir. First period," I managed to squeak.

He looked at the graffiti.

"You did this?" He demanded.

"No! I wouldn't ever!" I said, hoping it didn't sound as pathetic as it seemed.

He laughed. "It's always the quiet ones, innit?"

Carrow raised his wand, holding it inches from my face. "Now, girl, I thought we made it rather clear what happens to troublemakers in this school."

I closed my eyes.

_"Cru-"_

"She was with me," came another voice.

Slowly, I opened them.

His grip on my shoulder loosened. "What'd you say, Nott?"

"She was with me. In the library, studying. We just left five minutes ago, so she couldn't have done it," Theodore said quite calmly.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I barely knew this boy, yet he had saved me.

"Oh, and you forgot your ink," he added, handing me a bottle I had never seen before in my life.

With shaking hands, I took it.

"Thank you, Theodore," I murmured.

At that, Carrow was pretty easily convinced and he stowed his wand back into his robes.

Clearing his throat, he shooed us off. "Very well. You may go.

Without another word, Nott headed down a staircase and I followed him.

"Wait!" I called. He slowed down, allowing me to catch up. Quickly, we fell into step with each other.

"You didn't have to do that," I said.

He shrugged. "I guess not."

I looked at him from out of the corner of my eye, confused. "I really am glad you did, but why did you?"

"You didn't put those words up on the wall. You don't deserve punishment."

"And you think all of those other kids do?"

"Depends."

"What do you mean?"

"Depends what they did. They shouldn't get punished for thinking differently than the Carrows."

I paused. "You think different from other, er, students."

"Other Slytherins?"

"Well, yes."

"I do."

"And you're on your own a lot."

"I am."

"But you aren't bothered by that?"

"Not really."

Is is possible that I was actually doing most of the talking? Surprised, I continued.

"Aren't they your friends?"

"I suppose."

"Then why don't you hang out with them much?"

"I just choose not to."

There was a short silence between us, as we had reached the first floor.

"You are much more talkative today, Mandy Brocklehurst," he said after a while.

"I have my moods, Theodore Nott."

He watched me carefully. "I hope you have these moods more often."

With that, he left, leaving me even more perplexed than ever before.

Why was it so easy to have a conversation with someone like him?

A complete stranger.


End file.
